Sunday, May 6, 2012

just for fun

Training, how fast, how slow, how far...always in the back of my mind on rides (and usually in the front too!). But sometimes it is nice to get out just for fun.

Major's buddy Friday (and my buddy C) joined us and we meandered, without a plan. Well, I did want to go play in the water. So we headed the best direction for water, towards the lake! It's pretty high right now, the first access was too swampy, without safe footing. So we continued on.

At Beek's Bight I knew we could access the lake, I thought we'd go down over the sand a bit, to good footing. Nope! The lake is so high it is almost up to the parking area, but we were able to wade in. You can see the canal trail under water, but the horses were more interested in eating submerged weeds. That was fine, we sat in the sun on our ponies, talking and having fun. Major did find a tree branch to play with (I have no idea what is up with this horse and fetching sticks). Both horses had moments of pawing the water, of which we were very suspicious, didn't want any laying down!

But all was fine, and we headed back down the trail. To a sort of test: both horses had their boots on, I just refitted Major's, and Friday had new purple powerstraps. Would they stay on? Hooves now wet, trail rocky but we were moving out quickly towards home. Success! All boots on all hooves, yeah!

We stopped at a staging area water trough, that Major usually shuns. But today it was warm, or he's getting smart, or the lake whetted his thirst, but I was glad he drank. On the final stretch coming home we did a final detour (Major was not amused) through the fancy neighborhood. It is fun to ride through million dollar front yards, by the park where no one was playing, and back into the forest.

I thought water + trotting + uphill was a good test. Time will tell. I really just need to adjust them each time, his feet aren't perfect, with some strangeness, and I haven't started trimming myself. So 3 weeks from last trim they're getting long, and I need to play more with the boots each time to ensure good fit. But it will be less frustration, so win-win in the end.